Scam Type
Government Agency Imposter Scam
Business Name Used
DEA
Date Reported
Oct 05, 2022
Victim Postal Code
76354
Total Dollars Lost
0
Scam Description
I was contacted by phone by a man with an Indian accent telling me that I was being investigated and if I would agree to cooperate he would transfer me through to the office that was doing the investigation. I was transferred to another gentleman. He identified himself as a member of the DEA that is working with the Texas Rangers. He proceeded to tell me that a car that was abandoned on the side of the road in Rowlet Tx and the tag number was registered to me! They found some things in the car and if I will cooperate he would work with me to straighten this out! Long story short, I was being charged with money laundering and distribution of drugs. We talked for a long time and I questioned him several times about this being unreal, but I had gotten a phone call earlier in the day that said that my Social Security number may have been compromised. This gentleman had my address my phone number and the last four digits of my Social Security number. I still questioned him and accused him of being a scammer and he then said I was being uncooperative so he was going to release the warrant for my arrest from the Burkburnett Police Department. About a minute later into our conversation My phone beeped in with a call and it was the Burkburnett police departments number. I couldn’t imagine I could not even fathom that somebody can use a number like the police department number that was trying to call me! My granddaughter was in the car with me. I had the phone on speaker so she could hear…she immediately looked up in public records for outstanding warrants and my name was there along with my children’s names as next of kin or relatives and my husband. I knew in my heart this was a scam, it had to be! He begin to tell me that he was looking at my bank accounts he knew how many I had and said that they were going to freeze my account until this was cleared up! I told him at that time NO, you cannot do that,! He told me that until they got all this sorted out I would need to withdraw a certain amount of money And then take it to an ATM that was set up for only the governments use only and deposit the money at that ATM so if I needed money in the meantime I have access to it. He then instructed me to drive to the bank and take out $11,450 in cash in $100 bills. My thought was why would I withdraw cash, drive to an ATM that is set up by the government, deposit my money, when I could just as easily take the cash and keep it with me. What I should have done is play his game and fake the bank withdrawal at the bank find out where this Gov Controled ATM was and had my granddaughter call the police to meet up there!! Would he have been there ready to rob me?? Instead I had my granddaughter contact my husband on her phone because he told me to leave the phone on while I was at the bank so he could hear me.Immediately when my husband got on the phone with my granddaughter I put the scammer on mute and spoke to my husband they contacted the Burk Police Department while I was on the phone just to make sure that I did not have a warrant because by that time I was so upset because this seemed so real. He had my information. I knew I had done nothing wrong, but if he had my information then how easy would it be for anyone to register a car in my name and leave it on the road! My husband instructed me to hang up which I did. Immediately the scammer kept trying to call me back( several times) He then started calling me from the Burkburnett Police number! I finally answered and he proceeded to curse at me so I just hung up. I just don’t want this to happen to anyone else. I consider myself smart enough to not fall for things like this, but let tell you honestly for about 30 min I was worried. As far as the media knowing I do not want my personal information used, but if you just want to warn the public of this scam that would be fine.
